This invention relates to a method of preserving food products against microbiological spoilage and to the preserved food products obtained thereby.
Growing popularity of health foods and natural foods has greatly increased the need for a method of preventing food spoilage without use of the usual chemical food preservatives or lengthy thermal processing times. Even when used, it is desired to employ chemical food preservatives at reduced levels and to reduce the thermal processing time. Additionally, certain organoleptic properties which are desirable in some foods are only obtainable in the absence or reduction of chemical preservatives or with reduced thermal processing time.
Most common food spoilage problems are caused by unwanted growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds. In those foods wherein acid is present, the pH is generally sufficiently low that growth of bacteria which are harmful to man or animals is inhibited. Certain bacteria, molds and yeasts, however, may grow under these pH conditions to cause spoilage.
A recent attempt to solve this problem in low acid foods has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,451 to Oles, wherein microbiological spoilage is prevented by use of phosphoric acid in synergistic combination with acetic acid, and in the absence of the usual chemical food preservatives. The prior art use of sugar and organic acids for the preservation of food products including salad dressings, mayonnaise, and condiments as well as reference to the well-known relationship between the requirements for sugar and acid as used in the preservation of foods is also discussed in the Oles patent.